Hinge assembly for folding closure

Abstract

A hinge assembly for a folding closure includes a plurality of elongated, planar panels, each of which has a pair of parallel sides, and flanges on each side with the flanges on one side extending in one direction perpendicular to a plane of the panel and the flanges on the other side extending in a second direction opposite to the one direction; and a hinge for pivotally connecting panels in side by side relationship to each other, the hinge including an elongated body having a generally triangular cross section, generally C-shaped grooves extending the length of the body proximate two adjacent corners of the body, the grooves opening in opposite directions for receiving the flanges of adjacent panels and permitting rotation of the panels about a longitudinal axis of the hinge between closure open and closed position, and opposed stops at the open outer ends of the grooves for limiting rotation of the panels between the open and closed position.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]This invention relates to a hinge assembly for a folding closure.[0002]More specifically, the invention relates to a hinge assembly for a closure formed of a plurality of elongated flat panels with side edges interconnected by hinges for forming a folding closure. The hinges are designed to pivotally interconnect the panels in a manner which permits rotation of the adjacent panels around vertical axes between a closed position and an open position in which the panels are folding together with the hinges abutting the plane of the closure in the closed position.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Hinge assemblies for pivotally connect closure panels are not new. Examples of such assemblies are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,579, issued to S. Matsushima on Mar. 16, 1971; U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,261, issued to D. Lyons on Jun. 12, 1990 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,579,008, issued to M. Svenson on Nov. 12, 2013. While the known hinge assemblies perform the same function as ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a hinge assembly that allows a closure to fold up to a compact open position. The hinge assembly is simple and easy to use, with only one side of the hinges showing when the closure is open. The hinge assembly is also very smooth, with no contact between the panels and the hinges.

Problems solved by technology

While the known hinge assemblies perform the same function as the assembly of the present invention, for the most part they are structurally complicated and are not always suited for connecting vertical panels.

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